French word

enchère

Pronunciation

IPA/ɑ̃ʃɛʁ/

Meaning

  • feminine nounauction

Example

La maison sera mise aux enchères la semaine prochaine.

The house will be put up for auction next week.

Illustration for enchère (auction)

More examples

J'ai remporté la montre aux enchères pour un prix raisonnable.

I won the watch at auction for a reasonable price.

Core concept

A public sale where competing offers rise until one buyer takes the item.

Common phrases

  • mettre aux enchères

    put up for auction

  • faire une enchère

    place a bid

Similar words

vente aux enchères: A method of selling goods through competitive bidding.
enchère en ligne: An auction conducted over the internet.
surenchère: A new bid that exceeds an earlier one.
offre: An amount or set of terms offered to buy a product.

Definition in French

Opération de mise en vente publique où plusieurs acheteurs font concurrence par des offres et où l'objet revient au plus offrant.

Word origin

Enchère comes from Old French enchere or enchiere, a medieval term linked with competitive sales that developed into the modern auction sense.

Usage tips

  • The standard expression for an auction is vente aux enchères, while mise aux enchères means putting an item up for auction.

Other meanings

  • bidnoun

Opposites

  • prix fixefixed pricenoun

Related words

  • enchérirraise the bidverb
  • enchérisseurbiddernoun
  • surenchèreoverbidnoun

Word lists with this word